Instrument housing chambers, for instance, a chamber of a scanning electron microscope (SEM), optical microscope, transmission electron microscope or other multi-instrument assembly contains a plurality of instruments and detectors tightly clustered around and directed toward a centralized location near a sample stage. The centralized location is small and limits access to the sample, for instance by mechanical testing instruments installed within the chamber.
In one example, a mechanical testing instrument is installed within an access orifice of the instrument housing chamber. The mechanical testing instrument is affirmatively coupled with the instrument housing wall and extends from the wall toward the centralized location in a limited or single orientation (e.g., at static installation angle relative to the sample stage). The mechanical testing instrument extending from the wall to the centralized location consumes valuable space in the instrument housing chamber. A sample in the instrument housing chamber must be oriented toward the instrument to facilitate mechanical testing. For instance, the sample stage must orient the sample at an angle complementary to the installation angle. Because the installation angle relative to the sample stage is acute, obtuse or the like it is difficult to accurately position the sample for mechanical testing without time consuming and difficult actuation of the sample stage into awkward orientations. Moreover, the orientation of the sample may be at a less than ideal angle (e.g., non-orthogonal) and frustrate the accuracy of mechanical testing through indentation or scratching. Further still, the extension of the mechanical testing instrument from the wall consumes valuable space otherwise available for instruments, electronics and the like within the instrument housing chamber. Moreover, decoupling of the sample from the mechanical test instrument creates a large mechanical loop that extends through the instrument housing wall which may add to uncertainty and error during quantitative mechanical testing.
In another example, a testing assembly including a mechanical testing instrument and a stage is coupled with the sample stage of the instrument housing chamber. The stages of these testing assemblies provide limited (e.g., linear) orientation of the sample relative to the mechanical testing instrument and the cluster of instruments and detectors of the instrument chamber housing. The orientation flexibility of the sample is limited by the compact chamber of the instrument housing as well as the instruments and detectors clustered around the centralized location of the instrument housing sample stage. Further, mechanical testing may be performed and then the sample must be reoriented for examination or further work by the instruments and detectors of the instrument chamber housing.
Additionally, the provision of linear stages adds tolerance to the stage carrying the sample and correspondingly frustrates the accurate positioning of the sample including micron or smaller testing locations of interest relative to instruments. Tolerance is required to facilitate motion between portions of the stages, and with each degree of freedom the tolerance of the stage is compounded. Moreover, through mechanical testing the sample and the stage experience forces, moments and the like that can undesirably move the sample because of tolerances and further frustrate the accuracy of measurements and the observation of a micron or smaller testing location of interest.